Get ready, because we are going on A Tasty Adventure Live!
Before you join me on A Tasty Adventure live, I would like to tell you about my own personal culinary journey.
The Beginnings of Creativity
I grew up on Long Island. Our family owned a florist and nursery shop and as you can imagine, as with any small family business, I worked there. Both our parents were very talented and creative. Our Dad could fix just about anything and he had an incredible knack for growing things. Our Mom was artistic and boy could she cook!! Actually she still does!
Even on long days after spending hours planting, moving, watering, fertilizing and doing whatever else had to be done we always returned home where mom would could up another one of her epic, amazing gourmet meals. We would talk about our day and then the conversation would always turn to food. Our next meal, some new recipe or an exciting ingredient were always hot topics at our dinner table. Maybe it was an Italian thing – our Mom is half Sicilian, maybe it was a New York thing – being close to a big city with lots of food choices or maybe it was just a family thing.
From Art to Numbers to Art
When I went off to college I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I decided to become a finance major. Big mistake! I loved being artistic, creating things and making things beautiful. Why in the world did I decide on getting into finance and numbers? I think it was largely due to my guidance counselor saying something about business always being a good major. I think I may have taken him a little too literally.
Now as you can probably guess I was not happy with my decision. Numbers and paper pushing are extremely boring to an artistic, creative mind like mine. Luckily for me an opportunity arose. My parents decided to sell their business and head to the Florida Keys. Being that I wasn’t happy with what I was doing this was a chance to really change things up, see a new part of the country and maybe find my true calling. I went!
I took a job at a bank for about two years (I know, I know – Numbers again) then I discovered another profession, Interior Design. It was while working at an Interior Design shop in Marathon, Florida that I reconnected with my future husband (the story of how we met is for another time.) On our first date he took me to the Pier House in Key West. I remember having an appetizer, salad, steak and a piece of chocolate cake with a rose on it. Lee, my husband, commented on how nice it was to be dating a girl who actually ate something besides salad.
Thank you Paul Prudhomme!
For our second date I decided that I needed to impress. What is the best way to a man’s heart? Through his stomach of course!
A wonderful perk of living in the Florida Keys is the availability of fresh fish. I mean FRESH FISH and all the time! My Dad and I loved going fishing and we always had some dolphin in the refrigerator. Now, don’t freak out at that last sentence. “Dolphin” when you are talking about edible “fish” in the Florida Keys is the fish NOT the mammal! It is called Mahi Mahi on the west coast, but, in the keys the locals call it dolphin.
My Mom happened to have a copy of Paul Prudhomme’s cookbook, “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen.”
Click Image above to buy Chef Paul’s Cookbook from Amazon
If you know anything about Louisiana cooking then you know that Chef Paul is the King of this cuisine, and this cookbook is Amazing! I looked through it and found a recipe for Fish with Pecan Butter Sauce and Meuniere Sauce. Dolphin + Chef Paul’s Recipe + Dessert by Maida Heatter = One Happy Man!
Lee was impressed, happy and pretty full after that meal and I finally found what it was that I truly wanted to do!
It’s never too late to live your dreams
So from New York to the Florida Keys and now Maine I am finally doing what it is that truly motivates me, enriches my life as well as the lives of others and is my true calling. Even though I have never attended a culinary school I have had a lifetime of cooking and learning. It is my absolute pleasure to share all that I have learned with others and now I want to share with you!
A Tasty Adventure Live
You can tune into my Livestreams at A Tasty Adventure on Facebook.
Be sure to like the page so that you know when I go live.
Also follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest and on Twitter, and Share, Share, Share! Thank you!
Check out some of my healthy creations – Arugula Brussels Sprout Salad or Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Pesto.
I look forward to seeing you in the kitchen! 🙂
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